Raute Oyj

Durand-raute Industries Ltd.

Raute Wood Ltd.

Peter William Gibson

Mika Hyysti

Michael Poropat

Brian Rooney

Pertti Auvinen

Jarkko Kaislaoja

Stefan Muresan

Kenneth R Cato

Adam Mleczak

Eric Hulme

Hugh M Waldrop

John L Nalley

Brian G Rooney

Jimmy R Richardson

Daryl G McKay

Juha Rautiainen

Jeffrey Michael Webber

Andrew Edward Smith

The invention relates to a system for sorting veneer sheets. The system comprises: an assembly section; a reject section; a feeding section arranged between the assembly section and the reject section; at least one detection device configured to scan a top surface of a topmost veneer sheet of a stack of veneer sheets to provide a plurality of successive scan lines images; at least two parallel transfer devices; and a control system. The control system is configured to provide a surface scan image from the plurality of successive scan lines images, determine one or more properties of the veneer sheet based on the surface scan image, and to control the at least two transfer devices to: move from an avoidance position to a pick-up position determined based on the surface scan image; pick up the topmost veneer sheet of the stack of veneer sheets; and transfer the picked-up veneer sheet to the assembly section in response to detecting that each of the determined one or more properties of the veneer sheet meets a respective predetermined criterion, or otherwise transfer the picked-up veneer sheet to the reject section. The invention relates also to a method for sorting veneer sheets.

System and a method for sorting veneer sheets

The invention concerns an apparatus for transferring sheet-like objects from a stack, said apparatus including separate lifting elements gripping by suction to the upper surface of the sheet-like object to be transferred, positioned in a row extending over the stack of the sheet-like objects, and transfer elements for transferring the lifted sheet-like object. The suction effect of the lifting elements is controlled by means of a control device including a light source making a substantially line-shaped illumination pattern. The illumination of the light source is focused at an inclined angle to the surface of the sheet stack, substantially parallel to the lifting element row. A camera means for observing the illumination pattern forwards information about the uniformity of the uppermost layer of the stack.

Sheet feeder

The invention concerns a vacuum belt conveyor for transferring veneer sheets under a vacuum effect. The conveyor consists of a vacuum box under a vacuum effect, having at least one perforation extending lane-like in the direction of conveyance of the conveyor. Conveying belts are running on both sides of the perforation. The belts are brought into contact with a veneer sheet to be transferred, whereby the veneer sheet and the belts line an underpessurized space, and the sheet is retained in contact with the belts. A lug movable in the direction of the vacuum lane is arranged at the perforation for keeping any jamming debris away.

Vacuum belt conveyor

A veneer packet assembly and delivery apparatus; and, a method of assembling a packet of veneer sheets and delivering the assembled packet for incorporation into a billet being fed into a laminated veneer lumber press. A veneer sheet is aligned atop a first series of spaced horizontal members which are then displaced downwardly by a selected thickness distance and longitudinally by a selected offset distance. Additional sheets are sequentially aligned atop the previous sheet(s) until a packet having the desired number of plys is assembled. The first members are then lowered between a second series of spaced horizontal members, to transfer the packet onto the second members. The second members and the packet are then displaced horizontally away from the first members, over the input end of the press. A third series of spaced horizontal members are then raised between the second members, to transfer the packet onto the third members. The packet is then lowered onto the input end of the press. The third members are retracted to transfer the packet onto the input end of the press. Transfer of the packet onto the input end of the press is controlled to precisely align the packet's forward end with the trailing end of a previously processed packet being transported into the press.

Method and apparatus for assembling and delivering veneer packet to

Veneer sorting apparatus for sorting a moving stream of arbitrarily ordered full width, random width, fishtail and trash veneer pieces in response to a signal representative of a characteristic such as width. Each piece is deflected into an appropriate output path: one path contains substantially only full width pieces, a second path contains substantially only trash pieces, and a third path contains substantially only fishtail and random width veneer pieces. A first vacuum source is coupled to a first series of vacuum ports positioned closely proximate to and spaced transversely across the moving stream. Vacuum applied through the ports initially draws all the pieces toward the full width output path. Dampers responsive to the characteristic signal temporarily decouple the vacuum ports from the vacuum source upon detection of a trash piece, allowing the trash to fall away from the full width output path. To further assist in trash removal, an air jet responsive to the characteristic signal is provided adjacent the first vacuum ports to blow trash pieces into the trash output path; and, a first pivotable finger downstream of the vacuum ports responds to the signal by deflecting trash into the trash output path. A second pivotable finger downstream of the first finger responds to the signal by deflecting fishtail and random width pieces into the fishtail and random width output path.

Veneer sorting apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Maple Ridge, Canada

Peter William Gibson